Hawthorn berry is a member of the rose family. As expected, the plant bears beautiful flowers and eye-catching red berries. However, hawthorn berry is not just a pretty plant — its flowers, berries and leaves are used for hundreds of years now in dealing with many different health problems.
Once native to northern Europe, hawthorn berry can now be found all over the planet. You can grow it in your garden and have the dried parts turned into powder that can be made into a cup of tea, which may be on the bitter side due to the loads of catechins and antioxidants it contains. That’s good news as the said plant-based chemicals are the ones making hawthorn berry really beneficial for the health in the first place!
If gardening is not your thing, you can simply purchase hawthorn berry in a number of forms. Still, consuming hawthorn berry as tea is the most preferred way to take advantage of the herb. Traditional healers recommend taking up to 3 cups of it a day to harness its therapeutic potential.
Hawthorn berry has no known side effect, although some people have reported having nausea and palpitations. Just like with any other herbal product, it’s a good idea to inform your doctor about your plan on taking hawthorn berry tea — especially if you have a medical condition or you are taking prescription drugs.
Without further ado, here are 15 amazing health benefits that hawthorn berry is known to offer:
- Reduces blood pressure. Hawthorn berry is said to relax the walls of the blood vessels, causing the blood vessels to become dilated. This results in the reduction of high blood pressure.
- Lowers cholesterol. Based on studies, hawthorn berry tincture is highly effective in reducing bad cholesterol levels of laboratory mice provided with a high-fat diet.
- Eases angina. Angina happens when the heart is not getting enough blood that contains oxygen. It’s a serious symptom that should be evaluated by a specialist.
- Wards off atherosclerosis. The accumulation of plaque in the inner walls of the arteries, which is medically termed as atherosclerosis, can put you at high risk of various cardiovascular problems.
- Alleviates stress. Drinking hawthorn berry tea is known to help relieve stress. A lot of people swear by its ability to deal with the complications of having a stressful life.
- Provides relief from anxiety. Other than stress, anxiety is a problem that can be managed effectively with hawthorn berry tea which has mild sedating properties.
- Encourages a good night’s sleep. If you are unable to sleep at night, brew a cup of hawthorn berry tea and consume so that you may get to dreamland in no time.
- Promotes weight loss. Several studies have shown that certain compounds in hawthorn berry are capable of accelerating fat metabolism, thus assisting in successful weight reduction.
- Gets rid of indigestion. Speaking of fat, indigestion brought about by fatty meals may be relieved with the intake of a freshly-brewed cup of hawthorn berry tea.
- Removes excess water. Feeling bloated? Drinking hawthorn berry tea is said to help flush out excess water in the body. It’s because it has mild diuretic properties, which means it can increase urine production.
- Treats diarrhea. Thanks to its astringent properties, hawthorn berry tea helps put an end to diarrhea. Traditional healers also recommend it for dysentery.
- Cures sore throat. Allowing a cup of hawthorn berry tea to cool to room temperature may be used as a gargle to help treat sore throat, thanks to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties.
- Relieves hot flashes. Menopausal women who are bugged by hot flashes may attain relief from the intake of hawthorn berry tea or tincture, say the experts.
- Prevents liver disease. Hawthorn berry, according to numerous studies conducted on it, helps keep liver disease at bay by protecting the said organ from being inflamed.
- Slows down aging. The berries and leaves of the hawthorn berry plant are known to contain loads of antioxidants, making them effective in delaying the appearance of various skin aging signs.
